Happy Holidays
by AusteniteV
Summary: A snapshot into the life of Logan and his family, around the holidays.
1. Black Friday

"Now here is our Christmas tree," Logan pulls down the large artificial tree bag on the living room floor. "It doesn't look like much now but just give me a few minutes and we'll be up and running, ready to decorate." Logan pulls the three pieces out of the bag and arranges them from largest to smallest.

"You see here, this is the biggest piece, where it's widest at the bottom. I'm going to flatten this base out and put this piece in." The bottom portion of the tree is placed down. It's branches drop and fan out. The sound of small hands applauding rings out.

"You like that, buddy?"

"Yes, daddy! Put more!"

"I'm just getting started, little guy, keep watching" Logan continues to assemble the Christmas tree, placing the second section and then the pointy tip of the top of the tree. His son watches on nearby, his toy trucks and teeny tiny play people forgotten, as Logan narrates the process.

Soon the entire tree is in place and its branches fluffed up accordingly. Logan reaches behind the tree to place the plug in the power strip. He turns to his son an makes sure he has his attention before flipping the switch on.

"Okay, little man, watch this! What do you think?"

The toddler's eyes light up and the tree comes on and shines with beautifully colored lights. "Yay, daddy! Tree pretty, tree pretty!", the boy with sandy blonde hair exclaims, while looking up in wonder.

The look on his face makes it all worth while. He's never seen his son so enamored. This might be the first Christmas that he actually remembers, Logan considers.

"Alright, let me wrap this ribbon garland around here, just like mom likes it, then we can start putting on ornaments. Maybe we can get a good head start on finishing before your mom gets home. We can surprise her!"

"Good, daddy – Lets go!", he squealed with excitement.

With the ribbon in place, Logan brought over a box with small, soft, stuffed ornaments for his son.

"Come here, little man. Let me show you how to put these on the tree, to decorate it."

Logan picked up a small teddy bear with a Santa hat and placed it gently on a bottom branch. "See you just take these and put them all around the tree, like this."

"Santa bear!"

"That's right, little guy. That is a Santa bear. Here, try this one." He hands his son another small ornament.

"I do, daddy", and he places it on on the tree, nestled between the branches.

"Great job, buddy. Keep going and we'll be done in no time." The little boy happily goes back and forth between the box and the tree, adding treasures as he goes.

Logan sees that they are, of course, all close to the bottom and spaced way to closely together, but that's okay. He and his son are doing something together. Even though he still so small, Logan loves these little moments. He never really even has able to imagine that his life would be like this. The thought of children and family were often marred by feelings of obligation and detachment, a symptom of his own upbringing. Everything is different now, thankfully, and he owes it all to one person.

Be home soon. One more store to conquer! *climbing emoji*

"Okay bud, we've got most of the decorations up. We'll leave the star and Mommy's favorite ornament out for her."

Logan notices his little boy has retreated to the sofa with one of the last plush toys for the tree from its box. This one is a Rudolph figure, that looks very similar to the storybook version he's been reading to him for the past week.

"Aren't you a clever boy", Logan says to his son, who is now also wiping his eyes and fighting sleep. "Let's get you down for a nap. Mommy will be home soon and then we will eat some more turkey!"

The child placed his head on his father's shoulder as he is picked up to be carried to his room. Logan gently removes the toy, leaving it on the sofa, knowing that his son would want his Baby Shark lovey to sleep with instead. Finally making it upstairs, he places his son into his bed, handing him his lovey, which was nearby.

He lovingly smoothed back the child's hair and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead. After pulling up the blanket and putting the rail in place, Logan backed out the room, turning on the white noise machine and leaving the door cracked on his way out.

He shuffled back down stairs to re-disperse the ornaments that Eli "helped" put on, then finished placing a few other decorations around the front room, before removing all the boxes and bags back to storage.

He decided a little time in front of the tv with a cold beverage was in order and retired to the hearth room, hoping to find a soccer game on.

"Hey babe. What have you been up to? Where's Eli?"

Logan met his wife in the kitchen, coming in to the house from the garage door.

She was loaded down with shopping bags from her Black Friday shopping excursion, which he quickly helped divest her from. Giving each other a hello kiss, Logan placed the many bags out of the way in the dining room to sort later.

"I just put him down for his nap about an hour ago. He should be up just in time for some dinner. It looks like you've had a productive trip. I hope you felt comfortable using the joint account for all of this. You know I don't want to to have to worry about splurging anymore."

"Don't worry, babe. I put a healthy dent in it today, with the help of Mom, and I promise I won't worry my pretty little head about it", she imitates a Southern accent for the last clause, while still managing to roll her eyes at his prodding statement.

"Thatta girl", he says gently swiping at her rear end. "Speaking of moms, where is yours?"

"Oh, she's still out in the Jeep sorting through the bags and dealing with something over the phone. There is also a ride on Mercedes in the back that I'm sure she could use some help with."

"A ride on toy! How big is this thing? How did you manage to get in the car and how in the world are we supposed to get all this stuff up to Nantucket?"

"First, to answer your questions – I told you Mom is really enjoying the space that a larger SUV offers – she bought it with the baby's stuff in mind, transporting back and forth to help us out, but she has found many uses for it since. She thought it was apropos for a "Huntzberger" to drive around in a luxury vehicle, even if it's only a toy. Plus it was "a thousand percent off", her words, not mine. Secondly, we played the pregnancy card and batted our eyelashes a bit, to get a couple of teenagers from the store to help us load it in. Might have set the feminist cause back a few days with that one, but oh well... Lastly, I think we could get away with leaving the the big gifts behind and open them when we get back. You know, have a Christmas One and a Christmas Two."

"Well, at least you've thought this through. That actually sounds perfect – a private Christmas at home. I can give you those naughty things I had in mind."

He comes toward her playfully, grasping out to touch her and pull her in closer. She makes moves to evade him, laughing at his antics the whole time. He stills manages to bring her in for a hug and lets her go just enough to caress her expanding baby bump.

"That's how we got this one, Huntzberger. All those naughty games you play... You keep this up and Santa might take all his toys back", she grins up into his beautiful face.

He gives her back a playful frown and kisses the tip of her nose. "Hopefully, you'll be with me for a very long time. Santa wouldn't take you away from me. I've been so good this year. And I missed you today. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling good, for the most part. My feet are achy and I have to pee but that's to be expected. Mom and I snacked our way though the day. I had to excuse myself no less than 10 times to find a restroom."

"You go see to that, and I'll help Lorelai unload the rest of gifts. Then we can eat, put on a movie and you can rest."

"Aye Aye, Captain", she responds, turning on her heel with a small salute, her blue eyes sparkling.

"I'm looking forward to those leftovers. We really outdid ourselves yesterday, even Luke was impressed."

"I'll take care of it, babe. Handle your business and go put your feet up. I've got to covered."

She turns to blow him a little kiss, then continues her way upstairs to get more comfortable.


	2. Thanksgiving

When Logan comes out of the house by way of the garage, he is greeted with the sight of Lorelai still sitting in her four-door Jeep, talking animatedly to what looks like herself. Upon seeing Logan, she gives him a little wave and points him toward the back hatch.

Logan rounds the SUV and pulls open the back door, then lifting the glass window hatch.

"Good grief. This thing is huge."

"That's what she said!", Lorelai interjects, overtalking whomever she was speaking with over her car's Bluetooth.

Logan laughs, thinking about how everyday conversations almost always take a turn towards the dirty. If Rory were down here, surely the bit would continue. As it were, all he can do is shake his head and attempt to get enough grip on the box to begin pulling it out.

"Lorelai, are you even listening to me?", an accented French voice bellows through the speakers.

"Yes, Michel, I am listening to you and once and for all, we will not charge a fee for canceling due to the snow! I don't care who was booked to come in. Sasha Fierce or no, Sasha Fierce. We just won't ever do it!"

"But it very well could have been the Queen Bee! I always miss out on all the cause celebrite. We finally get some A-listers and this storm comes to steal my thunder."

Logan speaks up before they can start up again. "Lorelai, I could really use a helping hand. I believe this is a two person job." He winces at his choice to words, as they can be taken as "dirty", but luckily Lorelai just cracks a smile, then wraps up Michel's previous tirade quickly.

"Michel, I'll be there to check in tonight, we can go over the guest bookings for the next few days then. Right now, I have to go.", she presses the button to end the call, before he can protest further.

Lorelai hopped out of the car and came around to the back. "You know, we had a bit of help getting this thing into the car... I guess I didn't consider what it would take to unload it. When I saw it in the store, I knew it was the perfect gift for my little Eli. It's a Mercedes SUV, two-seater, he can even drive his sister around in it when she is old enough to play! And it's tradition! I must buy a car on Black Friday! It's totally becoming my thing."

"Can you grab that side?", Logan broke in, having already managed to slide the box out enough to hang off the edge. They both pulled the rest of it out, and shuffled together into the garage to store it until Christmas. "I'm sure he's going to love it. He loves anything from his Glammy.", Logan added with a chuckle.

"He does, doesn't he?", Lorelai beamed. "I just love spending time with him, I never realized how great it is to be a grandparent. You get all the love and cuddles, then give them back to the parents for bedtime routines and potty training."

"Ugh, potty training is brutal... Plus, I'm pretty sure I didn't have him 'go' before his nap. He may wake up with an accident, he's only just learned to stay dry during the day."

"Aww, he's taking a nap? I was hoping to see him for a little bit before I head to Stars Hollow. Maybe I'll just sneak up and have a peek at him?"

"Be my guest. Rory's upstairs changing but he should be up soon to anyway. He's been down for over an hour."

When Logan returned to the kitchen after getting everything situated outside, he began to pull out a few containers of their leftover Thanksgiving dinner yesterday.

It was the first family Thanksgiving that they hosted in their recently renovated home, and everything had been perfect. He and Rory had practiced making a few of the traditional side dishes beforehand to make sure all the food was up to par for a seasoned consumer of holiday feasts such as Lorelai. Luke and YouTube tutorial recipes were at the ready should they run into an unexpected snafu. Luckily, every dish turned out as expected and even earned raves from the most discerning of critics: their son.

Next year, they hoped to make it bigger and better, with Chris, Lana and Georgia - who insisted that she be called by her given name instead of,Gigi, now that she was a teenager- in attendance. They couldn't make it this year since committing themselves to visit Francine at her house in the Bahamas, this week instead.

Hopefully, Emily would be able to make next year's trek into Hartford also, with the weather forecast cooperating fully, unlike this Thanksgiving. As it was, a quickly forming Nor'easter kept her on Nantucket Island, for fear of getting stuck in the incoming weather.

Finally, they hoped to one day recreate the Friends-giving they attended last year, at a large chalet on the slopes, that they had all Air BnB'd, before everyone's daily responsibilities called them back to work.

Rory and Logan really had a ton of fun, there with their friends. They invited her friends and his friends, mutual friends together, both old and new and really had a raucous time. As raucous as, fiscally-responsible thirty-somethings get, anyway. Sans baby, they really cut loose. Lorelai and Luke readily volunteered to keep Eli, plus April was scheduled to visit and had been begging for some "baby-time", her graduate studies on the West Coast making it harder to witness her nephew grow up.

Still, having a low key dinner here yesterday evening, was something that he will never forget. It was the very essence of family, something that his heart had wanted for longer than he cared to admit.

After the candlelit dinner, replete with the Gilmore family set of fine china place settings, which Emily had set aside for Rory, the supposed former Gilmore girls settled down to have a movie night. Luke made his goodbyes, glad he had driven separately. The ladies had planned to make this an overnight thing, to get up "early-ish" to shop the next day.

Lorelai announced that she came prepared for movie night with three absolute classics, sure to get them in the shopping mindset. She produced a usb stick, from seemingly out of nowhere and practically bounded over to the tv set up in the hearth room.

"Mom, you sure are eager. What movies did you bring?", asked Rory.

"_Mannequin_, _Making Mr. Right_ and the "coup de grâce" _Can't Buy Me Love_. Rest In Peace Amanda Peterson.", she said and actually gave a short bow with praying hands to punctuate the end of her sentence. When she lifted her head, she had the glint of mischief in her eyes.

"I get it, Mom, all movies with malls or where department store scenes feature. But you know I hate _Mannequin_. That movie freaks me out.", Rory responded to her mother's antics. "I mean, mannequin figures come to life, can you think of anything creepier?", she added with a shudder.

"Logan, did you know Rory was afraid of mannequins?", Lorelai said, turning toward me. "She hated going into department stores as a child, up until she was about 10. Was terrified that they would start moving and come down off their platforms, to terrorize us."

"Of course, it didn't help that you loved this movie and watched it at least once a month, my trauma repeating."

"Hello – Andrew McCarthy. And a bed of fur to wake up in. Gotta tell Luke about that one...", she added wistfully, as if making a mental note.

"Ugh, gross Mom."

"I'm gonna take the little one up for his bath", Logan inserted into the conversation, that clearly could have kept going. He picked up Eli, who was in his toy area off to the side of the family room and started moving towards the stairs. He stopped to give Rory a brief but promising kiss on the lips, Eli reaching for his mom to give her a hug also, before continuing upstairs.

He heard Lorelai imitate a playful choking sound at their display of affection, as he walked away, the ladies dissolving into a teasing banter once again.

Bath time was uneventful but fun, as Eli loved taking a bath and rarely protested. Logan was glad he was able to do slip into caregiver mode. Although he spent most mornings with Eli while Rory went to class, he rarely made it back home in time for his nightly bath. After brushing teeth and getting into their pajamas, -_Paw Patrol_ for Eli, gray tee and loose cotton bottoms for Logan- they decided to rejoin the party downstairs, with mommy and "gammy", which is what it sounded like for Eli to try to say "Glammy", not quite able to pronounce the blend properly yet.

Upon returning to the family area, with a comfy, deep U shaped sectional, facing the entertainment center set-up and large flat screen, Eli went right over and snuggled up with Lorelai on one end of the couch. Rory was actually scrolling through her phone, doing her best to avoid the movie currently playing on the screen.

"You really hate this movie that much, to be breaking a Gilmore movie night rule."

"I tried to tell her Logan. She just won't listen."

"I'm here now, sweetie. Nothing to be afraid of. I'll shield you from the scary parts...", Logan adds with a slight laugh. He settles down next to Rory on her side, and she immediately drapes herself over him. She still has on her cozy cable knit sweater and leggings with sweater socks and looks absolutely adorable to him.

"You two keep ganging up on me if you want. This movie is still strange. Only good part is Hollywood and his pink Cadillac – and of course the _Golden Girl_ herself, Estelle Getty."

"What about James Spader? That guy plays the foil to perfection, everytime! How could discount his comedic performance?", Lorelai feigns indignance.

"Yeah, yeah, I guess."

We quiet down and finish the movie, after which I can see both of their points. I look over and see Eli is knocked out, curled up next to his grandmother. Rory, herself has been asleep for at least the last 30 minutes, by my estimation, her breathing becoming heavy and evening out sometime ago.

Lorelai has the remote and rolls right into the next movie, I offer to take Eli upstairs and put him to bed. Rory stirs when I get up, and is excited to see the next movie has started.

The nap, which is sleep that she needs more of now that she is with child, seems to revive her and by the time I make it to the landing with Eli, they are both extolling the virtues of John Malvovich and reminiscing about Frusen Glädjé.

I tuck in our son, then go to check my emails and the weather forecast again, in my home office, make sure there are no fires I may have to put out. Unfortunately, both fronts hold not-so-good news.

Rory finds me still in here hours later, the movies done and Lorelai gone to bed in the guest quarters.

"Uh oh, You've got that problem-solving look on your face. What's going on?", asks Rory.

"I may have to get in front of a situation at work, back in the city. I was actually hoping you and Eli would come back with me instead of staying here to ride out the storm."

"Sure, no problem. I've got some reading to do for finals and I think I left an errant sheet of notes back in the apartment anyway."

"I know this is a change of plans, we were trying to get away and transition back here after the first of the year so Eli can start school."

"It's just a few days, Logan, no big deal. I can study there just as well, maybe even meet up with my study group instead of texting. That's our home too, we'll be just as comfortable there as here."

"Thanks babe. I was really starting to get worked up with worry about it. I have a feeling I'm going to need you to come home to this week. Everyone's IQ at work has seemed to drop 10 points overnight."

"Its okay. Lets go shower and get ready for bed. Then you can show me how much You really appreciate me..."

As Logan came out of his musings on the intimate happenings, in their shower and then in their bed to follow, (_Can't Buy Me Love_ makes me frisky, Rory informed him cheekily, when he found her already wanting as he touched her while they washed each other) Lorelai returned to the kitchen just then, holding a grinning toddler in her arms.

"I peeked in on him for a few minutes and, lo and behold, his little head pops up"

"There's my little guy!", Logan addresses the boy in his Glammy's arms. "Was he dry?"

"He was, but we've already stopped by the bathroom on our way down here. He went, no problems."

"Awesome! Give Dad a high five", as he held up his hand and Eli returned the gesture enthusiastically.

"I'll just put him in his highchair and ….", Lorelai imitates walking out with her fingers so only Logan can see. He understands her words unspoken, knowing from experience if Eli sees her leave, he is likely to freak out.

"He doesn't do that for anyone else, not even us. You're his favorite", Logan says with a smile.

"I know, and he's my favorite too", she says securing the tray in place, after strapping him in. "And when your sister comes, she'll be my favorite too", giving him a little touch on the nose with her finger, causing him to giggle.

Logan already had his plate and tiny fork ready for him, sitting on the island along with his sippy cup. Lorelai reached over and got them, placing them on Eli's tray, so he could begin eating dinner. This should provide the distraction she needed in order to tip toe out.

"Tell Rory, I'll call her tomorrow", she whispers to Logan, headed out the door to the garage.

"Will do."

A few moments later, he hears Rory pad down the stairs and come toward the kitchen.

Even fresh out of the shower, with a messy top knot and cotton loungewear, she still takes his breath away. Years later and she still does it for him, with just one look.

"Was that Mom leaving?"

"Yes, she told me to tell you she'd call you tomorrow."

"Ok, are you ready to eat? I'm absolutely famished after all that shopping."

"Did you get anything for me?"

"Maybe," she says drawing out the word and evading his grasp as he comes for her. She goes to the island, where a plate is already waiting for her. She pulls back a little section of her top, showing him a thin strap leading to a racerback behind her and a triangle of lace in the front, knowing that he still watching her.

He comes closer to her, and she returns her top to its rightful place but then lifts a little of the hem of her shirt while pulling down the top of her pant over her hip, exposing a lace-bordered bikini bottom.

"You're teasing me. Are those_ Aerie_? You know I love you in _Aerie_", he says as he finally manages to get a hold of her.

"You'd think I had on _La Perla_ or something, the way you carry on", Rory says, as they hug right there by the kitchen counter.

"I like these cotton panties. I've always liked that you prefer them over the fancy ones for everyday wear, you know that."

"A refreshing change, from back in the day huh? I wasn't tripping all over myself trying to impress you like all those other girls."

"Chill out", he says in a joking manner, feeling sheepish even about things that happened so long ago, back in college. "I still got you though."

"Yeah, I guess you did. And I got you too. Win-win, I suppose."

"Abso-freaking-lutely", he censors himself, since Eli is in the room, still happily eating and gives her a kiss. "Now, lets eat. So you can put your feet up and rest from your day. I'm eager to get a clearer picture of what you purchased later, you're going to need your strength..."


	3. Christmas Eve Eve

AN: My fickle muse doesn't care about a holiday schedule. I have a plan but what comes out is what comes out. It was probably a little ambitious to think I was going to write and publish events in real time. Logan's (almost) birthday is close enough, I suppose. The last section of this chapter is the inspiration for this fic as a whole and it fought me tooth and nail. I was afraid of it for so long.

Rory and Logan live in the _Far From Heaven_ house. The movie is set in Hartford, even if the actual exterior is not.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these things. I love it all though, so from my heart to yours, enjoy!

* * *

"So has there been a return of Smashton yet?", Logan asked as he walked in their master suite. It was Monday evening, a few days before Christmas. Christmas Eve _Eve_, as Rory had called it several times today.

Logan had been out of town the week prior, his work at HPG taking him back across the pond to Germany. _Google Duo_ keeping him in close contact with his family at home. Then, upon returning to the states, put in a full day and a half at his office in the city, to ensure a smooth transition over the holidays and into the New Year, for him to work almost completely remotely from their house in Hartford.

For the past three years, they had considered their home to be their NYC Clinton condo, but now with Rory completing her classes and degree requirements from Columbia satisfied, and Eli old enough to start Montessori school, they had decided as a family to move home base to back to Connecticut full time, as opposed to the weekends and summers they had been staying here.

This was the house that Richard grew up in, all ready and renovated for a new generation. After Emily explained, that this, as well as Trix's other properties were held in trust, and they could live there or transfer them to their own trust for ownership, free and clear, they had moved in and steadily completed projects to make it their own.

"Not yet," Rory responded and greeted her husband with a kiss. "But the crew just finished a charter and they have plans to go out tonight. There were mentions of his eminent return, however, and Kate seems overjoyed at the prospect."

"I can't say what I'm truly thinking, cause it could be sexist but I wish those two would just get on with it. They're both tense af."

"Look at you! Using a slang terminology in conversation. Are you sure you're 37 and not 27? You certainly don't look it", Rory said playfully.

"Looks can be deceiving, babe. I may not look like I feel but I still have some moves left," he answers back, adding a body roll straight from the _Chippendales_.

Rory's jaw dropped. "Where did you learn that?", she asked, still looking at him in astonishment.

"Your boy taught me", he said, pointing up to the tv just as Ashton appeared. He laughed as he added, "I know that's the only reason you watch _Below Deck_ \- Rory Gilmore has a type after all."

"Lo-gan", Rory stretches out his name like only she could, exasperated that he would make such a comment at all. "You think what you want. This show is just mindless fun, I needed something on while I wrapped these 10,000 books. Plus, you know this is on my bucket list."

"Ace, you know we can take a trip on the yacht anytime you want to."

"Yes, but Captain Lee won't be there. If Captain Lee isn't there, then what really is the point? I don't want to have dinner on night three of the charter with Captain Whos-his-face."

"Well I'll be there so you don't have to worry about Captain Whos-his-face. I will steer the boat myself."

"That's worked out well in the past for you", Rory added with a snicker. "But I will take another body roll from you - I think I've got a couple of ones here somewhere, if you want to continue the striptease show. And this time, do it slowly…"

Since Logan was already heading toward their walk-in closet, pulling out his shirt tails and unbuckling his belt, he turned back and gave Rory a cheeky shirt un-buttoning, which was met with pillow flying in his direction.

"Tease."

"It's only a tease, if it gets you hot."

"Ok, Bender", she says into the open closet arrangement. "But I think we'd need to switch roles to keep the reference true. You are such a Claire anyway."

Logan popped his head back out from the closet briefly. "Give me few minutes, I'll show you some real teasing…"

"The books, Logan. Not in front of the books", she responded back with feigned astonishment, a rosy blush coloring her cheeks.

"By the way, I've got those galley copies you wanted. They're in my bag on the floor." Logan had finished undressing and was moving into the en-suite for a quick shower.

Rory hopped down and went to get the books from his work bag. "Perfect! I can knock this wrapping out tonight and we can head to Nantucket first thing in the morning."

"Sounds good", he said as he turned on the shower. "But don't think I forgot about the teasing comment. I intend to make good on all my promises, so get ready."

"Cough drops and the couple ring?"

"Absolutely", Logan replied back, with a smile full of mischief, as he stepped under the spray, intending to get himself ready as well.

* * *

"I think we may have to stop to put air in the Rover's back tires. We're all packed up and back end is looking a little weighted down."

"They are just books, Logan. That SUV is supposed to be able to handle rocks and safaris and all sorts of terrain. It would be a shame if it couldn't handle a few measly books."

"It's four crates of books, Ace. Four crates!"

"It's called a book flood, Logan, not a book sprinkle. I wanted to have sure everyone got at least one thing they wanted to read."

"Whatever you say, dear, whatever you say."

"There is a man who has learned the mystery of marriage- agreeing with your wife. Well,that and having two blankets on the bed for sleeping..."

"Now that really is the secret of success. Never share bed covers if you don't have too."

"I thought you liked cuddling with me at night", Rory added with a pout.

Uh oh. Logan wasn't looking directly at her when she said that, but he could hear the pout in her voice. Pregnancy and the increased hormones plus no coffee for the last 6 months meant that a pout could turn into a quivering lip, which could then morph into quick and quiet tears streaming down her beautiful face, faster than a cat on a hot tin roof. He had to backpedal, and do so swiftly, if he wanted to avoid an upset Rory. Thankfully, with it being his second time around this gorgeously with-child woman, he knew exactly what to do.

Logan put down the snack containers he was packing for the car trip. He moved toward her, placing his body at her side but still behind her. He took the apple juice she was pouring into sippy cups for Eli out of her grasp, placing them on the counter. He turned her around in his arms and pulled her into a hug, kissing her cheek and face.

"Of course I do, babe. The time we take to reconnect with one another physically every night that we are together is the best part of my day, followed by waking up to you and our son in the mornings. I wouldn't be surprised if physical touch wasn't my 'love language'", Logan finished with a smile.

"Physical touch huh? Yeah, I could see that", Rory says smiling back at him. Her hand comes from around his back to gently cup his front, giving him a little rub. "But are you sure it's not acts of service? That's the one that really gets me going", she purrs into his ear.

Logan can't help but to let out a small laugh. Just like that, she turns from on the verge of tears to being sexily suggestive. These hormones are no joke. Quite frankly, he himself could use a few more hours of recovery, considering the somewhat unbridled ride he woke up to just before daybreak this morning. He absolutely loves that side of Rory, who has always been fond of the early morning wake up call in general, even when she was not pregnant. They went back to sleep afterwards, resting up for the drive they were taking today, but considering that encounter was already round #2 on the night, the soldier needed more R&R.

That didn't mean he couldn't satiate her needs in other ways though.

"I'm not sure those kind of acts of service are one in the same", he says to her as her hand continues to move. He responding, but quite frankly, it's a little painful. Time to turn the tables.

He placed his hands on her hips and gently turned her body back to facing the island countertop. Before she could give a pout, he tucked himself into her backside, aligning his body with hers from shoulder to pelvis. He reached one hand up and across to pull her hair to the side, enough for him to be able to nuzzle into her neck. He breathed heavily just under her ear and began to kiss and nibble on an especially sensitive spot.

Her body shuddered under his attention. The hand on her hip went to rub her baby bump sweetly, while his other hand moved from holding her hair back, down to her shoulder and finally to cupping her breast firmly.

That was enough to lead her to push her backside into his front, with keening movements and a low moan coming from her throat.

They leaned into each others excitement; something was going to happen here and now. One for the road, as they say.

He continued to knead her breast, knowing that the left side of her body was more sensitive than the right anyway, for some reason. A well place pinch on this side was enough to open the door, so he did so. Her head fell back, resting on him, her eyes had already closed. He had access to the other side of the neck now and took advantage.

The hand on her belly moved lower and began to bunch up the long sweater she wore today. Then slipping inside her waistband, traveling south. He appreciates her shape outlined in her cute but comfortable leggings everyday but today he is duly thankful for their forgiving fabric, allowing him the space needed to explore.

He tests the waters- she is already prepared for his touch, which helps facilitate the circular motions around one insistent area.

"I want your hands to stay on the counter. Remember to keep quiet", Logan says barely above a whisper. They both knew not making any sounds would not be a problem, they'd had a lot a practice, but putting voice to the words took their play to another level. They could see and hear Eli in the hearth room from this vantage point, happily moving along with _The Wiggles_.

This would have to be quick.

"Take a step back."

She did. He moved with her. She gave further access by widening her stance and putting a little more arch in her back.

He worked her steadily, maintaining contact with as many parts of her body as he could, moving in a subtle undulation.

Everything looked very discrete from the position they were in. But a quake was forming.

He felt her legs begin to shake and kept with the assault.

After the first tightenings started against his fingers, he spoke "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you" into the skin near her the base of her throat, while her hands curled to claw at the marble counter.

Assured of her completion, he withdrew and returned her clothing in place.

She looked beautiful to him, right then, with a slight flush on her face and dew formed on her brow. He admired his handiwork.

"How is it that you know exactly what to say?", she said looking back at him as he turned toward the sink to wash up and finish so they could get on the road.

"I know us. Sometimes the conversations that need to be had don't require words."

She gave him an understanding grin. "I'm so glad we made it here."

"Me too, Rory. More than you'll ever know."

* * *

"Hey, no phone while driving. Let me be the navigator", Rory said to Logan as she took his phone from his lap. She entered his passcode, 488001, to unlock his phone and open up the _Waze_ app.

They were already underway on I-84, headed towards Providence. Rory found her grandmother's coordinates in the history and started the navigation. "I don't see any accidents reported, it doesn't look like we'll be detoured before the ferry", she said just before a yawn escaped.

"Sounds good. Do mind turning on _Spotify_ for me as well?" Logan knew that she would be napping sooner or later on this trip and would rather get a playlist going now. He looked back at his son, whose carseat was installed right in the middle of the second row of his SUV. Eli had a sippy cup and a snack within reach and was now contented with his _Magnadoodle_ on his lap.

"Which one would you like?"

"Eh, put on the one called 'Prince Makes You Happy'."

The first song to play is _Guitar _from _Planet Earth_. "I've heard you play this before. I didn't know it was Prince."

"Totally underrated as a guitar player. Attempting to play along with him on my guitar is my secret single behavior. I guess its carried over though because I've done it with you around since the apartment at Yale."

The music continues and after a beat, so does Logan.

"You know, I met him twice."

"What? You met Prince and didn't tell me! My mom would go crazy..."

"Ha, exactly. I see what you did there, too. And that's just it. The first time was shrouded in secrecy over him releasing this album in the paper. It hadn't really been done before so I had to keep it hush-hush. The deal was one of the things I had to wrap up in London before I came back after Christmas that year. The whole interaction was very business like with lawyers and such, not ethically not up for disclosure at the time."

"What was the second time?"

"The second time was years later, when I was back in London again for awhile", Logan stops talking as the memories came flooding back. "The announcement had just run and I was trying my best to keep it together outwardly. HPG donates to Autism charities because, as you know, I have a younger cousin on the spectrum. We were invited to a benefit concert at the _Koko_, and I was the Huntzberger representative that night."

"I think I remember that. You took Odette. I saw a picture."

"You saw a picture?"

"Yes, on her Insta." She lets that statement hang in the space between them. "Although me and you were friends, really and truly friends during all that time, after the news of your engagement broke, I had some difficult moments. I wondered if things could be different. I had the impossible thoughts. I ran some internet recognizance and forced myself to face her as a reality."

"That's understandable, you are Rory "High-Stakes Deception" Gilmore after all", Logan stated, attempting to inject some levity into this conversation. "But you also knew the true story behind all that. We never lost contact with each other and I explained that it was coming."

"True, but I'm still just a girl. Not every day was easy." Rory shook herself then as if to snap herself out if it. A change of subject was coming, he could tell by her change of demeanor.

"So Prince performed at the benefit. I can't imagine. What was it like?"

"Intimate. The theater holds a fair amount of people, but that night, it felt as small as a living room", Logan paused. "I really let go that night. I sang and danced right along, I was feeling every word. Odette was shocked. She said she had never seen me let loose, I hadn't revealed that part of me to her, even with how we met."

Logan continued quickly, eager to get more of this story out once and for all, since it was more about her than Odette.

"He engaged us all that night, it was like he was performing for us individually and I was right on the floor, stage left. After the concert, I had to hang around, speak with a few people like the charity coordinator, to thank them for the invitation and such. O was tired, and I didn't know how long I would be, so she took the car back to the flat without me." Logan took a breath, before he got to the meat of the story.

"Someone from Prince's team pulled me aside and asked if I had moment to go backstage, Prince would like to speak to me. Of course, I went and we were introduced. When he heard my name, he said he thought I looked familiar and recalled where we had met before. We sat down and chatted, just small talk and stuff, then he said "You know, I recognize a kindred spirit in you. You got project an image that's put together but there's a longing inside you. I know the feeling."

"He asked if it was the girl I was with? I said no. He figured as much, there was no real spark there. I told him that we were really just friends, codependent friends who shared something in common once upon a time. He said if its not her then who? I told him about you. Said I loved and lost and loved again. Then I rushed ahead by making plans for us, that didn't demonstrate to you that I'm a man of my word,that knows you and understands what drives you. I told him how we separated and lived life apart but remained in contact for the most part – as one of my contemporaries. Just one of the guys, for years. He understood completely and gave me some really good advice."

"What did he say?"

"He said to remove the barriers set in place keeping you from trusting in us. He said he'd been around that block a few times and no wonder he recognized that in me. He said not to be like him and let a barrier become a whole wall, before I realized what was important. Leaving a legacy is important."

Logan briefly chanced a look over at Rory. Her eyes were wide and looking back at him, her mouth open but not speaking. She looked stunned.

"It was a moment of clarity. I knew it was you, its always been you and I was willing to tow whatever line you cast me. The next time I saw you was a few weeks later, for my birthday in Hamburg. When I blew those candles out, looking at you over that cake, I knew exactly what to wish for. Then I found your research and made you an offer that you could not refuse."

Logan chuckled as _Love 2 Tha 9s_ began to play. "An appropriate song for a moment such as this."

"Why? Is it your favorite?" asked Rory.

"It's a song about hope which is exactly what that conversation gave me. I do really like it, it's peppy and beautifully arranged, but its not my absolute favorite. Keep listening, it gets weird towards the end", he added with a laugh.

"What song is your favorite?" she said, looking over at him.

He glanced at her and smiled with his sexiest half smile.

"I've got two – one is called _Revelation_ and its from his last album, _HitNRun Phase II._ The second is a song he produced for a protege called _Elixer._ He only performed it twice. It's a slow song that when he sings the words, it sounds more like 'he licks her'. Very sexy song."

"Well that explains that then", she whispered, remembering. "Think I've heard it, one night in our home office at the condo. You were listening to clip from a Jazz festival working late that night. I came in meaning to distract you and it worked."

"It sure did." Logan recalled that night also. He was listening to Montreaux '09, when Rory came in, placing herself between him and his office chair, effectively stopping his brooding. They cleared the desk that night and his mind was ready to tackle the problem from a new angle the next morning.

She adds so much value to my life, Logan thought. He would gladly give her whatever she asked for. Of course, she'd never ask for anything.

He looked into the rearview mirror and saw Eli, who is now taking a nap in his carseat. Then he looked over at Rory, who yawned again. She's likely to be asleep soon from the far-away look in her eyes. Her left hand rested on her stomach, while her head was propped up in the right.

This is my family, and I couldn't be happier.


	4. Boxing Day

Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls and I don't know if such disclaimers are still necessary. Better safe than sorry? *shrugs*

* * *

"Rory, Oh my goodness! Don't you look lovely..." Emily said as she greeted us at the door. "I'm so happy to see you all. Come in, Come in." She practically pulled us into the foyer and proceeded to actually hug us.

This kinder-gentler Emily is still taking some getting used to. She was always nice and polite, even welcoming, but now her smile is completely genuine and lights up the room. All society airs have been put aside. It's refreshing.. and a little bit unnerving.

We finally reached Nantucket and Emily's "Sand Castle", as she now called it. Rory relayed the story of the former name "The Clam Shell" and I must say, I kind of prefer it. More descriptive.

We made it all the way here with only one stop for a rest break for Eli ("Go bathroom, Daddy") slash puke and rally for Rory ("I went too long without eating. I'm going to be sick.") at a mom-and-pop pizza shoppe, which was in a small town before the ferry. They stopped, refreshed themselves with some pizza and (gasp!) a salad, before they were on their way again. We still managed to make good time - the total trip taking a little more than 5 hours.

"Look at this baby bump! You've really popped out, it's so cute! May I touch it? When are you due, again?"

"Sure, you can feel it. She's not super active right now though", Rory answered while looking over at me with a quizzical questioning expression on her face. "Who is this person?", her mouth moved without words towards me and all I could do was shrug back.

"I'm due March 15th."

"Really? So soon? Well you look absolutely wonderful. You're positively glowing." Emily ushered them further inside and implored them to sit down in her 'beach chic' but comfortable sitting area. "Do you have everything that you need?"

"Yes, Grandma, thank you. We still have 4 of everything scattered across all of New England, we don't need a thing."

Eli, who was feigning shyness by sitting on my lap with his face curled into me, perked up at the word Grandma. He looked at Emily and seemed to realize where we were. He hadn't seen Emily since summer.

"Good Gramma", he said as he reached out for Emily. She held out her arms for him to come over and sit with her.

This really was a different Emily. Openly affectionate and warm, even. Freaky.

They made a little more small talk, then they all climbed into the SUV and drove next door to get unpacked.

Luke and Lorelai arrived shortly thereafter, and after some awkward exchanges of pleasantries between my in-laws, I escorted Emily back so she could "be sure dinner was up to standard".

Luke and I unloaded the luggage, gifts and most of the 10,000 books, save for one crate.

"What is all this stuff?", Luke asked of the heavy assortment. "Did Rory bring a book collection for a couple of days? This is worse than when we moved her into the dorms at Yale."

"Rory wants to do a White Elephant slash Blind-Date-With-A-Book tonight, in conjunction with the Christmas Eve tradition of a book flood", explained Logan. "So she bought, wrapped and labeled all these books. I believe she recruited Lorelai to bring the White Elephant figurine and grand prize."

"There has been a steady stream of Prime deliveries over the last week or two. You know me, I don't ask too many questions", Luke added while throwing up his hands in resignation. "Sometimes it's better not to know."

Logan agreed, once the Gilmore Girls get an idea, its best to just let them see it through to fruition. Any input interjected only caused confusion, they both had learned that lesson the hard way.

"Let's just get this done – I'm sure Emily will have dinner on the table at seven and I still need to change."

"Don't sweat it, I got you. We guys have to stick together", Logan said with a smile.

"Thanks, Logan, I appreciate it. This new Emily is still capable of doing some damage. I hate to go into the lion's den without a chair."

"Agreed." They finished, even stacking the books under the tastefully decorated tree, and went to find their wives.

* * *

Emily had kept the more rustic décor of this house, in keeping with the look of a cabin, so they were more than comfortable in the four bedrooms, even with Luke and Lorelai coming to stay also.

Dinner turned out to be fairly uneventful. Emily had zero reactions to Eli coming to dinner in his Pjs and insisting to sit in Lorelai's lap for the duration of the meal.

The only hiccup came when Emily asked again what Rory's due date was. Rory glanced at me confused for a moment but dutifully answered again, even though it had only been a few hours since the initial conversation. Lorelai being Lorelai came in with 'Beware the Ides of March' and the collective groans began, effectively breaking the ice of the moment.

After dinner, Rory had all the adults gather in a circle to explain the rules of the swap, which apparently also goes by many names. Lorelai dutifully presented the White Elephant and the final wrapped prize, with a flourish, just like Vanna White would, for which we would all by vying.

Once the game started, everyone read their book description in turn and swapped when a book met their fancy. We played a few rounds until every person had at least three books they were interested in. They person bearing the white elephant at the end traded it in for the grand prize, which was a brand new Kindle Oasis. In the end, Emily triumphed and we spent some time showing her how to get started downloading her own library of digital books.

Eli opened up several books of his own over the course of the evening, which he looked at but now he was ready to be read to. Emily did the honors for the first picture book, patiently reading and expounding upon every page, to engage the toddler.

Rory and I curled up on the couch to start _Ninth House_ for her and _This Is The End Of Something But Not The End of You_ by Adam Gnade for me.

After about ten minutes, Rory switched to another book, _Such A Fun Age_ by Kiley Reid. "That book was a little too on the nose for me", she quipped as she snuggled back into my side.

Lorelai and Luke had landed, _Daisy Jones And The Six_ and _Recursion_, respectively and had comfortably ensconced themselves in side by side reclining occasional chairs with a beautiful Tiffany Dragonfly designed table lamp in between them.

Emily had another popular Taylor Jenkins Reid book, _The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo_ to read, which she had been meaning to get around to anyway after one of her cronies mentioned it sometime ago.

Eli made a few more rounds, getting abut four books read to him or being just content to cuddle, before sleep claimed him. Lorelai excused herself and took him up to bed.

Then Emily was ready to call it a night and journey back over to her side of the compound. Luke volunteered to escort her since it was dark out. He even brought out his best manners, gently gripping her elbow, while leading her and offering small talk.

The wine had been freely flowing after all. Except for me and Rory. I generally abstain in company while she's pregnant, for solidarity's sake. She does the same for me, except its all the time.

She has flipped over, with her head on the other side of the couch now, with her sock clad feet resting in my lap. I've somehow managed to turn pages with one hand, while squeezed and massaging her feet with the other.

Somehow, after she noticed we were quite alone, and in front of a romantic roaring fire yet again, she began to lightly rub her feet over my groin region, seeking out a reaction after not too long. I know she knew what she was doing but you now what they say- seek and ye shall find. I kept still and continued to read while she grew bolder in her exploration.

Finally, she broke the silence and just asked if I was ready to go to bed. All evidence pointed to yes, so I helped her up and gathered our book selections for us to retire upstairs.

* * *

"You want to do an icebreaker question from the fishbowl? We can adapt it for Christmas if necessary, tis the season."

"Sure, sounds like a good idea after the day we've had."

Rory and Logan had a surprisingly taxing day. They had all returned from Nantucket, a few days before and gone directly into the city to see Honor, Josh and Harper and exchange gifts. They had a great time, as they always do when they are all together. Then, the call came in. Although Honor and her family had seen her parents for Christmas, Logan and Rory had not. Since deciding to present a united front for the holiday with Lorelai and Luke at Emily's, they had not had a kind word spoken to them from the likes of the Huntzbergers.

Shira held no qualms in discussing her displeasure that Emily won the Christmas battle, for what was essentially the second year in a row. She had worked it in to several conversations on Christmas Day, according to Honor, earning eye rolls from Mitchum, who did his best to stay out of it by ignoring them, scrolling on his phone.

Shira, knowing Rory and Logan were supposed to come by Honor's that day, called and cornered them, like only she could. They conceded, and headed to "the estate", as it was called by the family, in Connecticut the next day, as it was on the way back from the city to their house in Hartford.

"I swear, your mom must celebrate Festivus instead of Christmas", Rory recalled regarding their tiresome afternoon. "She roasted us from beginning to end today and not even in a 'nice-nasty' Mean Girls type of way!"

"You know none of that stuff she said means anything right?" Logan paused. "You and I are not any of those things she tried to put on us, and no matter how we went about achieving our goal, it's really none of her business. You also weigh the perfect amount and do not look "overly large".

"I can't believe she had the audacity to say that to me. I am carrying another Huntzberger golden grandchild, for sucks sake."

"Don't let her get to you, Don't let her get you riled up again. I know we were mostly shell shocked on the way home but literally nothing she said matters. She only went there because my dad was not present. He wouldn't have let her go that far at all. But hey- look at it this way- you've officially been hazed into the family. Look at the dressing down as a welcome wagon. You're in, for sure, now."

"I know, but its still so upsetting. Your family life is so different."

"You gotta relax. I'll continue to do my best to shield you and our children from all of that, don't worry. No more Huntzberger drama tonight, you need to keep your blood pressure down, remember?"

"Fine. But no more Mommy Dearest for at least a month."

"Done deal. Let's get to the reconnecting portion of our evening. I'll pull the first question", said Logan. as he reached for the bowl on the nightstand.

The question bowl was something they had put together after doing some soul searching in the first year of their marriage. They kept one at both of the residences, so no matter where they landed, they had access just in case. There were some long days and even longer weeks of work commitments , graduate school assignments and taking care of an infant that had sometimes left them feeling like they were merely orbiting bodies around each other. The bowl was filled with a selection of 'get-to-know-you- better' corporate style ice breakers but they tended to lean towards the more deep questions. They really helped to invite the intimacy back in, when they felt miles apart, by getting them to share things that they had neglected in the years that they were not official.

"What is my go-to feel good movie?"

"Hmm… I think I heard you tell someone that it's _Sin City_, and I'm not actually sure what that says about your dank personality, but I'm pretty sure its actually a movie called _Excess Baggage._ I remember it being in your collection at Yale but we never watched it together. Then when I'd be in London with you later, I found it in the DVD player a lot."

"Did you ever watch it?"

"I did once. I realized I had seen it before, a long time ago, from the video store. I watched with Lane, and she raved about the soundtrack."

"She's right, the songs are awesome. And that is my go-to movie. I watch it every couple of months, especially over the last decade. It was a movie the guys at Andover razzed me about but then would end up watching too, well because Emily Thorne was hot… but for me, Vincent has about as cool as you could get. Of course, it came to mean something different to me after a while."

"I get you. We should watch it together some time." Rory paused, noticing how the mood had changed. In an effort to lighten things up, she asked, "You know, what I don't know is, What's your feel good Christmas movie?"

"It's A Wonderful Life is my favorite Christmas movie. I had never seen it until we watched together that first Christmas in London. It really spoke to me. A man figuring out for himself what's important in life. I can appreciate that, even more so now.", Logan's voice dropped off.

"Plus Jimmy Stewart is a boss", Logan continued to try to lighten the mood. "Remember that night we caught _Call Northside 777_ on the retro movie channel? They don't make noir movies like that anymore. A real time capsule for the newspaper industry."

"I remember what happened after the movie ended...", Rory said in dulcet tones following this walk down memory lane. "We talked and we talked", she added with a smirk.

"Oh we talked alright", Logan chuckled. "Then you climbed on top of me and wanted to do '_His Girl Friday_' roleplay. That was a good night for us."

Rory cuddled closer to him, bringing her arm around his midsection, her hand up to his shoulder. "What's my go-to movie?"

"You, my love, are an enigma. You watch all these things with Lorelai but I've not sure you've ever told me your opinion on them", Logan paused. "I would say something like _Titanic_? We have a bit of history with that one."

"I do love Kate and Leo... there was totally room for him on that door. Probably would have capsized trying to get him on though..."

"And you also watch _The Martian_ a lot and _The Fifth Element. _Kind of surprising choices for you considering the genre."

"They're great movies to have on the background when I don't want to 'watch' a movie..."

"However- I do know for a fact that the only movie file that you keep on your laptop is _Little Women_. I would guess that is your go-to movie."

"Yep, that's the one. Perfectly cast and it continues to inspire me. Winona made the perfect Jo and as far as I'm concerned, Christian Bale is Laurie. I'll reserve judgment for Gerwig's adaptation until I've seen it in a theater."

"Christmas movie?", Logan asked.

"That would be _All I Want For Christmas._ A young Ethan Embry and even younger Thora Birch conspire to get their parents back together after a divorce. It's usually available On Demand at this time of year and I watch it every year. Lauren Bacall is their society grandmother and Leslie Nielsen makes a cameo as Santa." Rory paused. "Mom hated it because it hit a little too close to home. This is before we moved into town so it was close quarters while still living at the Inn. She teased me about liking the rich blond even then. I guess I can see her point now."

Rory seemed even more reserved now that this particular memory has resurfaced.

"Would you like to snuggle up and watch it now? I can check to see if it's available." Logan had already started moving to find the remote and turn the flat screen on to queue it up. Anything to turn this negative memory into a positive one.

"Sure, let's watch it. I'll pull one more question before starts." Rory got the bowl and fished out a slip of paper. "What is the most influential novel you've ever read?"

Logan can see that question has brightened her up a bit. She started smiling as soon as she read it. "Please, you go first, I need some time to think about it."

"The most influential novel I every read was _Jane Eyre_. It taught me that you could still be smart and not just pretty and still get what you want out of life. She persisted and even love came back to her."

"That is a beautiful lesson and I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that you both smart and beautiful. I would have waited for you for as long as it took. I learned the hard way too. Which brings to mind one of the most influential novels I've ever read, _Siddhartha_. Life's about finding your peace in the midst of the noise, consciously separating the chaos and acquiring focus. The more I live, the more I understand."

Rory's got that glassy, ready to cry look in her eyes when he looks up. He just opens his arms for her and she comes into the nook. The movie is ready to go, so he starts it and pushes a button to dim the lights.

"Logan, I love you." Some tears have started to fall, he can tell by the way her voice sounds.

They'd had a tough day but it was a good day in his book. Any day with Rory is a good day.

"I know, and I'll always come back to you, remember? Only you, Rory."

They relaxed into each other and let the movie carry them away.


	5. New Year's Eve

"Huntzbergers!", Colin yelled through the phone as soon as Logan answered it. Before he can take a breath and answer, another voice also comes through.

"Harken thee and awake, thine good people! We come bearing gifts!"

Finn.

So both Colin and Finn are near, apparently at the gate, waiting for it to be buzzed open. Great.

Logan can tell it's still early- there is barely any sunlight filtering through the windows of their bedroom, but it's also winter in Connecticut and therefore - cloudy.

Sometime during the night, Eli has migrated from his bed into ours, probably with Rory's blessing, if he woke up and couldn't get back to sleep on his own. He is currently sprawled out in between the middle of the bed, his little foot the thing that was digging into Logan's back when he was so unceremoniously roused by the phone.

Logan usually loves waking up to mornings like this, they laze about and watch the morning news, not bothering to make too many moves until hunger calls for breakfast to be made.

His phone tells him it's a little after 7am, as he brings up the security app and confirms that his friends are indeed at the gate. He grants access for them with a few simple touches and gets out of bed to go meet them downstairs.

Thankfully, he is already {mostly} appropriately dressed and does not have to rummage around looking for clothes to put on.

Down to the kitchen and through the door to the garage, he pressed to button that opens the garage bay to greet his friends.

"I know you texted that you'd be by today, but I had no idea it would be as the rooster crows", Logan said, giving handshakes and hugs to his brothers.

Colin had an easy answer for that one - "We haven't been to sleep yet, so we thought no time like the present!"

"Mate! I told you we needed your gate codes! We could have come in already and not had to bother you!"

"Yeah, Rory and I aren't sure that is the best idea. We're not ready to wake up to you looking at us in bed."

"Is that an option? Because quite frankly, I'd love to watch."

"Finn, don't freak him out, its still early yet for this type of conversation", Colin interjected, ever the diplomat.

"Not an option. I'm barely awake but even now I know I need to keep an eye on you around her. You'd be sniffing around before I'm cold in the ground."

"She's a goddess, even more so now that she's with child", Finn added. "I don't know how she does it, bewitching us like this, our fair Sycorax. But I would never betray our friendship. It's really Colin here that you have to look out for."

Logan looked over to Colin, who had the good sense not to say anything in rebuttal.

"I get it, she's great and we all fell into her orbit a long time ago. Say no more." Logan gestured back toward the SUV they drove up in. "So I guess there are things that need to be unloaded and brought into the house. How about we get started on that and out of the cold?"

A steely look of resolve passed between the men. A sense of understanding was conveyed after years of friendship and camaraderie. They got to work, no other words needed.

* * *

"It's my uncles!", Eli screamed as soon as he rounded the corner into the kitchen. He ran directly into Colin's arms, who scooped him up eagerly.

"How is my favorite nephew this morning? Have you been enjoying the Christmas season?"

"I good, Uncle Colin. I went to Nantucket and New York!"

Of course, it sounded more like 'Unca', 'Na-nuck-it' and New 'Ywork', but everybody was well versed in toddler-ese by now and understood him perfectly.

Finn, who was manning the griddle, relinquished his spatula to Logan and came over to get Eli for his hello hug.

"Little guy! We missed you!", he said, giving Eli a big squeeze. "We brought you lots and lots of presents to open!"

"More presents?", Eli said, his eyes big with wonder.

"Absolutely! Nothing is too much for my godson." Finn answered with the biggest smile. Both Colin and Finn (and even Robert was allowed on occasion) had really shown up for them since the birth of their child. They always were ready to shower him with love and attention whenever they were in town. They had even offered to babysit for a few hours, even though they had not taken them up on that offer as yet.

"Where's your mom, bud?", Logan asked his son.

"Go back for socks."

"Did Mommy bring you down, then go back upstairs because she forgot to put socks on?"

Eli nodded his head up and down, confirming yes, that is exactly what happened.

"You're going to make a great reporter some day, son. Already just sticking to the facts!", he joked lovingly, while coming over to rustle his little boy's hair. While he was near, Eli held out his arms for Logan to take him, so he did. Logan then transferred him to his seat to get ready to eat.

"What's this I hear about our son joining the family business", Rory's voice said, as she came into the kitchen.

"There she is! Morning, babe. We're almost done with breakfast", Logan welcomed his wife.

"I thought we agreed, Mister! No cultivating mini-me's until they can at least write out their full names. How else will they be able to sign on the dotted line?" She punctuated her points by wagging an index finger at him, while her other hand rested on her hip. Her stance was meant to convey irritation, but the corners of her mouth betrayed a smile that showed otherwise.

"C'mom Ace. He's a natural!", he said with a wink.

Rory just looked back at him and shook her head, already making her way around the room to greet the boys.

She headed toward Colin who was busy pouring a kettle of hot water into mugs.

"Morning, Colin. You guys made it here early.", she said as she gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek.

"Finn couldn't wait to play the merry elf this morning", Colin explained. "Thought we'd make ourselves useful."

"Thanks, guys" Rory said, moving on to Finn. "I could certainly eat. I ran out of Salt and Vinegar chips late last night, so I'm already hungry."

That statement piqued Logan's interest. No bueno on her running out of her favorite chips. The consequences could be disastrous. He made a note to run out and get some later, before Rory left to keep her beauty appointment.

"Hello, Mother. How are you this morning? You look ravishing, as usual", Finn said as he gave her a hug and a kiss.

"Hey, Finn. I'm doing ok and thank you, I guess." She self-consciously smoothed her hand over her baby bump, covered in a layered cotton henley and tank . She then tucked the hair around her face behind her ears and ducked away, reaching up to try to adjust her ponytail as well.

Her nervous tick. A dead giveaway that she is feeling awkward and uncomfortable with the attention.

Time to change the subject.

"I was just showing Finn how to make pancakes from scratch. Again."

"I'm doing my best, Father", Finn answered. "I'm still confused by this strange thing you call a recipe."

Finn repeated the word slowly as if trying to make sense of a strange and new phenomena. The word became a chant. "Re-ci-pe, re-ci-pe...", as Colin joined in.

Eli, content to just observe up until then, also caught on and joined in.

The only thing Logan could do was laugh at the scene.

"Okay, _Animal House_", Rory intervened. "Let's go ahead and eat. I've got places to be today."

"You're not going to stick around and hang out with us?", Finn said dejectedly. "I was so looking forward to a visit! And presents, we brought lots of presents!"

"I thought today was a boys day, you know, football, beer, inappropriate stories", Rory joked along. "I've got a hot date tonight, that I need to be ready for, but there is always time for presents," she said as she loaded a plate up and took up residence at the island to eat.

Logan couldn't keep the Cheshire cat grin off of his face. He beamed, knowing that Rory would come home from being waxed, plucked and trimmed, in a great mood. She had always enjoyed her time at her salon, and was usually 'ready for anything' afterwards.

"Lucky", Colin said, in a surprisingly accurate channeling of _Napoleon Dynamite_.

Everyone laughed and dug into breakfast, content to spend the morning together.

* * *

It's 11 o'clock, one hour until the ball falls and it's a new year: 2020.

Logan stoked the fire and added a log. He wanted to make sure it was warm enough in here for Rory; perfectly formed flames danced up in the living room fireplace. That, along with the twinkle lights for the Christmas tree and the muted tv, provided the only light in the room, to set the stage for a romantic atmosphere.

Freshly showered and accoutered, Logan had just retrieved the last of the gifts for their private family Christmas. After Eli went to sleep, Rory insisted on helping to put out the rest of the gifts that we got for our son around the tree, even though I said I had it covered. (_It's our first 'just us' Christmas tradition, Logan, I have to participate! No matter how pregnant I am!_) She said we had to set everything up so he would see them first thing when he came downstairs in the morning, after all, at 2 and a half, this could potentially be the first Christmas that he remembers.

The ride-on power toy that Lorelai brought on Black Friday was there, as well as an entire suite of Montessori-style wooden play items, including a farmhouse with animals, a vertical car racer ramp and a band-in-a-box set.

It looked like _Melissa and Doug_ threw up in here.

But he was sure that his son would love it, if earlier today was any indication.

Colin and Finn had outdone themselves, after to some strong hints courtesy of one Rory's _Pinterest_ boards, by gifting Eli with all the items needed for a "Practical Living" kitchen.

They also got him a set of soft jumbo building blocks, which he climbed on and shuffled around right away after unboxing, while Logan and the boys arranged the new items in the play space downstairs.

It was all very convenient to bowl game watching and eventually, crashing on the sofa, since this area was man-cave adjacent in their renovated basement.

"Between us and his uncles, the kid made out like a bandit", Logan chuckled softly, before moving into the kitchen.

He took the gourmet charcuterie spread, with a few hard cheeses, an assortment of nuts, crackers and fruit, out of the refrigerator and laid them out on a small wooden platter.

For the past two years, they enjoyed some warm Camembert on toast points with prosciutto and Champagne for New Years Eve, but instead of the soft cheese and alcohol, he had another treat for Rory this year.

He located the breakfast-in-bed tray in the pantry, then moved it into place in the living room. Next, was to get out the Tiffany champagne flutes that they have used to toast three New Years thus far, which were a wedding gift from Lane.

"Peach _Bubly_ sparkling water for her, a small bottle of Dom for me", Logan reminded himself as he mentally continued to tick items off of his list of things to gather.

"I almost forgot the marshmallows and chocolate..." He retrieved a fresh bag of large marshmallows, forgoing the mini ones that Rory liked to keep in the freezer, and her favorite dark chocolate with sea salt snack bites from the pantry.

With everything assembled and placed on the tray, all that was left was to wait on Rory.

She had gone up stairs to "freshen up" and left Logan with instructions on where to find his own outfit for their special private celebration.

So here he was, in a sumptuous burgundy smoking jacket, matching velvet slippers with embroidery and a silken cravat with his black silk pajama bottoms. It was very old school Hugh Hefner, but that's exactly what Rory was going for with her Mid Century at Midnight themed idea. (_We'll match our house!_, was her reasoning.)

She's coming down the steps now. 11:30, not bad. We should have plenty of time to snack before the ball drops.

An absolute vision, almost floating down the stairs. She has some sort of thin white cape that covers her shoulders but leaves her arms out of slits. The material must be long, as it is flowing behind her as she descends.

Logan can see a peek of barely-there pink lace encasing her chest. Her heeled shoes are in her hand, leaving her in stocking feet, courtesy of nude thigh-highs with a subtle fishnet pattern.

Rory was the queen of patterned stockings and they always drove him crazy with want. She has worn them in every pattern and shade since they met in college with her skirts; he always thought it was super hot.

There was also something different about her hair- each side is pinned back rolled toward the center with her subtle waves still down in the back.

Very pin-up girl, she absolutely looks the part.

At the bottom of the stairs, Rory holds out her shoes for Logan to take for her. "I thought it best to leave these off until I got on level ground. Wouldn't want to take a tumble _Gone With The Wind_ style", she laughed.

Such a wry sense of humor. From years and years of practice, no doubt. Logan could only smile back at her. The reference was not something he would ever think about associating with the mother of his child. Perish the thought.

"These are my favorite shoes on you. You wore them when we got married. Both times", he said, taking them from her, as he leaned in to kiss her sweetly. He went down on bended knee to place them on her feet.

He managed to only cop a small feel by running his hands up from ankle to calf, wordlessly asking her lift her leg, so that he could slip the ivory open-toed sling back heel on each of her gorgeous feet. He had an up close and personal view of her whole body from this angle, so he drank her in. Then he rose and offered his arm to her, as a true gentleman would.

"Allow me to escort you to our living room. I've got plans for you."

The living room was elevated above the foyer and hallway to the kitchen, so there were a few more steps to navigate.

They moved together into the room, where Logan stopped her right before the glittering Christmas tree. "I have something for you", he said to her, in low voice and with a smile that was all his own.

"Oh my gosh, I've having deja-vu again. It's not a key, is it? I've done my fair share of collecting keys over the past four years...", she said while beginning to laugh. She brought the back of her hand up to her forehead, feigning a fainting spell.

Logan had turned away to reach behind the tree to retrieve her gift, turning around just in time to see her seemingly swoon.

He moved to steady her with a hand to her elbow before he it caught up to him that she was joking.

"I know we are exchanging our gifts in the morning, but I thought we could use this tonight."

Rory took the large square box, which shiny and fancy enough that it was only adorned with a wide ribbon and bow tied in the center, no wrapping paper needed.

She looked up at him as she pulled the ribbon over the corners of the box so that she could open the lid.

Inside was a chocolate-colored faux fur throw, perfectly folded.

"I wanted one of these, how did you know?", Rory beamed.

"I know, I saw your face when Lorelai opened her's on Christmas. I was there when you gave Luke the hint about them after your movie night", Logan said.

"I always thought that part of the movie was silly. I mean sleeping on all those furs had to be hot, but Mom loves that part. She goes on and on about it every time she watches it. Then I had a chance to feel how soft they could be even though its not real fur, thankfully, I had second thoughts", explained Rory. "You really pay attention, that was just a few days ago."

"A few well placed phone calls and a little magic", Logan countered, "Also, I thought we could recreate a little of the magic we had in front of the fire at your Dad's cabin."

He smiled at her and she remembered too. Her eyes shone and she gave him a sly smile in return.

"Let's get started", Rory said softly, looking at him directly in his eyes.

They began to unfold the large piece together and moved over in sync to place in down in front of the fire.

He helped Rory down to her knees and then she sat demurely, tucking her legs to the side. He placed the tray that he prepared down for easy access.

He unmuted the tv and sat down with her to enjoy their snacks.

They nibbled and watched Ryan Seacrest get ready to welcome in the new year. He imagined that Colin and Finn had made it into the city and were to far from a party near the center of the universe, Times Square.

Somehow he and Rory kept managing to steal glances at each other, between bites. They seemed to be always looking at each other at the same time.

Their gazes would lock for a few seconds but neither said anything out loud.

Fifteen minutes or so had past before Rory broke said that her legs were falling asleep and that she should switch positions.

Logan took each of their flutes of beverage up from the tray and moved them to the small table next to the chair in the corner.

He offered his hand to help Rory up, which she gave. They both braced themselves to pull her up but managed to get her still heel clad legs up under her gracefully.

Logan sat back down in the chair. Rory was about to sit on the ottoman directly in front of him but Logan beckoned for her to join him.

He slouched down slightly and widened the stance of his legs. He opened his arms to her.

She moved into his lap, sitting gingerly on one leg.

"Is this ok?", she asked.

"This is perfect", he replied.

They watched a few more minutes of the countdown show. Not much longer now.

Rory had one arm behind his head, in a spot were it has just enough for her to be able to run her hand though his hair and give him a light scalp massage.

One side of her lace covered chest was right next to his head. He turned his head and nuzzled into her, breathing in her scent.

He nipped her, applying just the right amount of pressure, on one side then the other, over the lace.

She moved her body more toward the center, he made room for her on the chair.

He had good view of her neck now and kissed her there, bringing one had up to gather the hair brushing her back and shoulders to the side.

She anchored herself with her hands on each knee.

Just a few more moments now, until ball began to descend for the final minute.

It would be so easy to move his other hand lower, to her front.

It wouldn't take much to illicit a response. Their breathing has synced now, with each body so physically aligned.

They both moved slowly, but together.

Things have progressed quickly by the time the ten second count begins.

The ball's decent was done and it was officially after midnight on the first day of the year. People on tv continue to celebrate, with confetti streaming and glitter raining.

Their movements changed, slowed and stopped. Logan turned his head so that his lips were on her ear.

He whispered to her, "Happy Anniversary".


End file.
